Air starter timing means



June 10, 1930. J, M WM 1,762,206

AIR STARTER TIMING MEANS Filed Feb. 1o,' 1928 Patented June 10, 1930 u vV PANY, OF' CLEVELAND, OHIO, A-CORPOB-ATION OF OHIO YASSIGNIOR r THEwmrron ENGINE I UNiT sTArEsrATENT OFFICE JAMES M. wilv'roiv, oncLnvnLAnn, OHIO,

m srnntrnia TIMING MEANS Application filed February 10, 1928. Serial No.253,395.

into operative position to actuate the engine exhaust and inlet valvesto run the engine in the corresponding selected direction- Besidesproperly presetting the valve actuating meansythe' engine must'bestarted,

and for this purpose it'is customary insaid types of engines to provideair starting means.

' This air starting'means ordinarily com-V prises a system including ,asource. of compressed air supply, communication with the i severalcombustion chambers ofthe engine,

and a distributing valvebetween the air. supply and the combustionchambers whereby air is admitted to the severalfchambers in.

proper order to start the engine rotating in the desired direction,theair of course being shut ofi as soon as; the engine starts firing inthis direction. i

Where the engine is to be reversed itwill be apparent that the timing ofthe distributing valve must be altered to admit air to the cylinders insequence differing according to the desired rotational direction of theengine.

'It is old in the art to employ a shiftable cam shaft to take care ofthe engine valve timing; and it is likewise old to provide means forshifting the starter distributing valve.

It is the object of my invention to associate the distributing valvewith the cam shaft,

to be driven thereby in either direction of r'unningof the engine andfurther tobe automatically shifted and timed dependent on the shiftingand timing of the cam shaft.

An advantage of such arrangement'lies in the result that a singleoperator operated control means may be provided, which may 7 be theusual cam shaft shifting means, and movement ofwhich between forward.and

reverse positions, will properly time both 7 the engine valves and thestarting means, for V running the engine in the desired direction.

- ing 2, in which con- 1 Further objectsand advantages be apparent fromthe following description taken in connection-Withthe accompanyingdrawings in which Fig. 1 isa viewin elevation and partly in section,showing pertinent parts of an engine to which .my invention has beenapplied; Fig. 2 is an end-view of the showing of Fig. '1; Fig. 3-,isasectionlasin ,the plane of line 38, Fig.1 and Fig. 4 is a section as inthe plane-of line 4 l,iFig. .1.

With reference now tothe'drawings 1 is a, portion-of the crankcase of asix cylinder engine in which is fitteda babbitt lined bushbears the camshaft 3 of the J Assuming the engine as operable on a four stroke cycle,and all of the engine valves actuated" bythe-same cam shaft, the shaft 3V is providedwith 12 double camsone, 4:, being shown. .The double cam 4;is actually a pair portion 1, and the function of the cam 4=is toactuate one of the valves of the engine by raisingat the proper time atappet 5 slidable in "the, crank case, carrying a roller 6, and

by the usual valve spring notshown, all of these parts being standard inthe art.

,Assuming the cam portion-4 to bethe fforward cam, in the position ofthe parts shown, thevalve actuated bythe tappet 5 v will-be actuatediii-proper timed relation to I run the engine in the forward directionand when the camshaft 3 shiftedto the left Fig. ,1 uritil the roller 6restsupon' the [cam poritionil the 'enginelwill be operating inthe jreverse direction. Bytlie provision of the ramp portion4 thecamshaftmaybe shifted I of cams i and 4 having therebetween a ramp V"caused to bear against and follow the cam to bring-either ofthecam-portions lflor 1* under the "roller regardless ofthe angularpositionof the camshaft init's bearings.

For starting the engine a compressed air system is-provided and includesa distributor block 7 securedwith the engine crank case 1 opposite theend of shaft 3, a cap 8 secured withthe distributing'block 7, and adistributing valve9 having a'stemportion 10.;

.. The distributor block 7 carries a faceplate V lliinwhich are ports12,12, late, one for each- 1 cylinder of the engine and each communicat.

ing with its cylinder by a passage 13, 13, etc., in the distributorblock 7, and piping 14, 14:, etc. The cap 8 is recessed as at 15 toclear the distributing valve 9 and the recess i to bear against thevalve 9 by a spring 19 for y as the valve is rotated, the several ports12,

distance.

thepurpose of maintaining the valve 9 seated upon the plate 11. A lead20 may be provided in the cap 8 for connection as at 21, with a pressuregauge.

The distributing valve 9 has a single port 22 properly positioned touncover in sequence,

12, etc., theremaining ports 12', etc., being closed by the seating ofthe distributing valve upon the plate 11.

Sincethe engine operates ona four stroke cycle, the distributing valve 9should rotate at half crank shaft speed; and since the cam shaft 3rotates at half crank shaft speed it is convenient to drive thedistributing valve from the camshaft, and such arrangement is not new inthe art.

According to my invention, however, I connect the distributing valve andcam shaft in such a manner that when the cam shaft is shiftedlongitudinally the distributing valve will have rotational movement withrespect to the cam shaft to properly timethe distributing valvedependent upon which of the cam portions 4? or 4* are brought tooperative relation with the tappet 5.

For this purpose I provide on the stem 10 of the distributing valvehelical grooves or threads, 23 of. the proper pitch torotate thedistributing valve through the necessary angle .by reversing shiftingmovement of the cam shaft through the necessary longitudinal The end ofthe shaft 3 is counterbored toreceive a shell 24 having a number ofspacedopenings 25 bevelled outwardly as indicated. WVithin the shell 24and secured by lug portions fitting in the openings 25 is a nut'26internally threaded to fit the stem 10 of the distributing valve.Preferably the stopping the same it is merely necessary to shift the camshaft 3 to the left until the cam portion 4: is replaced by the camportion 4:"; the nut 26 by such longitudinal movement rotating thedistributing valve by cooperation of the thread therebetween to time thedistributing valve in the reverse position. Threafter admission ofcompressed air through the pipe 17 will start the engine in reversemotion.

Likewise return movement of the cam shaft to the position indicated willefiect return of the distributing valve to its forward position. Ofcourse shifting of the cam shaft may be accomplished and the describedresults effected regardless of the angular position of the cam shaft.

WhatI claim is:

1. In combination with a distributing valve of the class described,driving and driven members for said valve and having concentricallyarranged parts With helical interengaging elements whereby slidingmovement of one of said members will change the timing of said valve,said parts being of unsymmetrical section whereby their interengagementmay be (affected only in one angular relation at the section. V l i 2.In combination with a distributing valve of the class described,concentrically arranged driving and driven members for said valve withhelical interengaging elements whereby sliding movement of one of saidmembers will change the timing of said valve, the inner of said membersbeing of hard metal, and the outer of said members comprising a hardmetal shell with a soft metal liner therefor.

In testimony whereof I hereby afiix my JAMES M. WINTON.

signature.

threads 23 are unevenly spaced, as by omission of one of an otherwiseevenly spaced series,

gwherebythe valve can only be fitted to the assembly in the properrelation. I

The nut and shell assembly is conveniently effected by b'abbittingaroundthe distributing valve stem, that'gis, by properly positioning the stemwithin the shell and pouring therebetweenbabbitt to form the nut. The'nut andshell assembly is securedin the counter bore ofthe shaftby anyconvenient means suchjas theipin 27, the assembly being of suflicientlength that the pin will be cleared by V the endof the valve'stem.

Operation .will be. apparent. Assuming hapa e whe 'e it q' go Fi 1 he feward position, to reverse the engine after

